Battleship Grey
by tastes-like-ciel
Summary: On the day of Nunnally’s kidnapping, Suzaku was absent because of military duties. With no one to aid him, Lelouch was forced to face Mao on his own. // “Holy Mother, I seem to have found you again.”
1. Checkmate

Title: Battleship Grey

Genre: Angst/Romance/Horror

Rating: M

Warnings: AU. Begins at Stage 16...can't say how closely this story will follow the anime's plot, but it will follow it to an extent. A little MaoxC.C. in this chapter. There is also a little LelouchxC.C. in here as well. Slight Silent Hill crossover. Will probably have many different pairings. SuzakuxLelouch is going to be considered as the main pairing, but there probably won't be a whole lot in the beginning…at least not in this chapter.

Summary: On the day of Nunnally's kidnapping, Suzaku was absent because of military duties. With no one to aid him, Lelouch was forced to face Mao on his own. // He didn't want to see it, but he did and now he couldn't look away.

Disclaimer: I do not own Code Geass nor do I own Silent Hill. Story title inspired by the song Battleship Grey by Kirsty Hawkshaw.

Serena: This story is so AU that I should be ashamed of myself…but I'm not. :D I'm not sure where the idea for this story came from, but it's been haunting my brain for weeks so I decided to turn it into a story. I wonder what you guys will think of it. Hmm…well, guess I'll have to wait and see. I can't say for sure how many chapters this story will have. I'm kinda making this all up as I go…which really isn't the best idea but…meh…I'll go with it. Don't expect this to be updated quickly as, like I said, I'm making this up as I go. Also, as mentioned in the disclaimer, this story's title was inspired by the song Battleship Grey by Kirsty Hawkshaw. It's a lovely song and I recommend that you guys listen to it. I listened to it a lot while I was writing this…so…it's kinda like the theme song of this story. Anyway, I won't hold you guys up any longer. Read on.

-X-X-X-X-  
Title: Battleship Grey

Chapter 1: Checkmate

By: Serena the Hikari of Love  
-X-X-X-X-

"Geass. He who uses this inhuman power will find his heart isolated…whether he wants it that way or not. Thus, he plummets into the abyss that lies between good and evil, but if a man can climb out of that abyss into the light, then that man has the soul of a king."

-C.C.; prologue to Stage 16.

-X-X-X-X-

Lelouch Lamperouge was filled with bone-chilling terror and soul-shattering hatred as he heard the voice of his predecessor filtering through his cell phone's speaker.

"Hey there, _Lulu_."

'_Mao._'

He grit his teeth, eyes narrowing as his voice was filled with pure hatred.

"Where's Nunnally?!" he demanded, eyeing the picture of his bound sister in fear. "What have you done with her?!"

He heard Mao chuckle in amusement.

"I see you've found my _gift_." Mao said, humming in delight. "Personally, I thought that the cranes were a nice touch."

A gift, he called it. It was more a way of displaying his power over Nunnally than anything else. Binding her arms and covering her mouth was one thing…but her legs? Her ankles? She couldn't walk!

"You bastard!" Lelouch seethed, his grip on his cell phone tightening almost to the point of breaking it. "Tell me where she is right now!! If you've done anything to hurt her, I swear I'll-"

"Oniisama?" a soft and scared voice interrupted. "Oniisama, is that you?!"

"Nunnally?" Lelouch asked, eyes widening and watering a bit at hearing her voice. "Nunnally, are you alright? He hasn't hurt you has he?"

"I'm okay." she answered, sounding relieved at hearing her brother's voice. "He hasn't hurt me. I'm just scared."

"Don't worry, Nunnally, everything will be alright." Lelouch said soothingly. "I'm going to find you. I won't let him hurt you, I promise."

At the other end of the line, Nunnally smiled.

"I know. I trust you." she said. "Please be care-"

"Such loving siblings." Mao interrupted.

"Ah, Nunnally?!"

"As touching as this is, I'm afraid I must cut this short. You have until sundown to find your sister. You may look wherever you like, but no police or any outside help. Break that rule and you'll never see her again."

"Also, keep your phone with you." Mao added. "I'll be calling again."

The line went dead as Mao hung up.

Cursing the other Geass-user, Lelouch dashed out of the dining room, attaching his cell phone to his ear as he ran. He wasted no time and skipped no room or building on campus in his search for Nunnally. He knew Mao and Nunnally were still on campus somewhere as Lelouch had calculated the range of Mao's Geass to be about 500 meters. Mao had to be somewhere close, but where? He ceased his running when he heard Mao's voice call his name over the cell phone attached to his ear.

"I'll extend your time limit if you continue your search while doing a handstand." Mao said, chuckling before hanging up.

'_He thinks this is just a game._' Lelouch thought in disgust as he looked at the picture of his sister again. '_What kind of sick mind operates like this? Nunnally hasn't done anything! She's innocent!!_'

Lelouch closed his eyes. He took a deep breath and exhaled before opening his eyes once more.

'_Think. He's still on campus somewhere. He's somewhere close enough to use his Geass to read my thoughts…but I've looked everywhere! Ah…there must be some place I haven't looked._'

He thought hard and an idea struck him.

'_I thought I heard running water in the background when he first called me._' he realized, beginning to run again. '_They must be underground!_'

After a minute or so of running, he stopped as he reached his destination. It was an elevator that had a small keypad attached to it. It was a restricted area that students weren't allowed to enter. If Lelouch had been anyone else, this would have been as far as he could have gotten. But Lelouch wasn't just anyone else. He was Lelouch Lamperouge, a secret Imperial Prince of Britannia and the Vice-President of the Student Council with kick-ass hacking skills.

He made quick work of opening the elevator doors and entering them. He punched in a button and the elevator sped downwards.

'_If only I thought of this sooner!_' he thought, tapping his foot against the floor impatiently.

The elevator stopped and its doors opened as Lelouch stayed hidden. He used the reflective back of his cell phone to survey the hallway.

It was empty.

Lelouch had expected Mao to set a trap for him--he still did--, but it appeared that he hadn't quite reached it yet. He reattached his phone to his ear and cautiously--but quickly--walked down the hallway until he found what he was hoping to find. His eyes flooded with relief upon seeing the sight before him.

"Nunnally!" he called out, rushing towards his little sister.

"Oniisama?!" Nunnally cried, smiling in relief. "Oniisama, you're here."

"Don't worry, Nunnally, I'll get you ou-"

He froze as his eyes caught site of a rectangular box swinging a few feet over Nunnally's head.

It was a bomb.

"Oniisama?" Nunnally questioned. "What's wrong?"

'_No…that bastard!_'

"It seems you've found your sister." Mao's voice said through the cell phone's speaker. "Congratulations, Lulu! You should be proud!"

"You never planned to just let her go." Lelouch fumed. "Why do all this? She hasn't-"

"Yes, yes. I know what you're going to say. 'She hasn't done anything wrong! She's innocent!'" Mao mocked.

"Mao!"

"I don't care what happens to her. I only care about what happens to _you_." Mao continued. "I knew kidnapping her would get your attention and it did. Now, I'll make a little deal with you. If you beat me in another game of chess, I'll let her go free and you'll never see or hear from me again. I'll even tell you where I am so you don't waste any more time. Deal?"

Lelouch looked at Nunnally. He loved her so much. He would do anything for her. If saving her meant beating a mind-reader at a game of chess, then that's what he would do.

"Deal."

"Good. I'm in the chapel. I'll be waiting, Lulu."

The line went dead again as Mao hung up.

"Nunnally," Lelouch began. "I'm going after him. I don't want to leave you alone down here, but…it's the only way I can save you."

Nunnally's eyebrows knit together and she frowned.

"But…what if he hurts you?" she asked, a few tears falling from her closed eyes. "I don't know what I would do if he hurt you."

"I promise I'll be careful." Lelouch assured her. "You don't have to worry about me. You're the one I'm worrying about. Please don't cry."

Nunnally smiled.

"I'll be fine." she assured him. "I trust you and I love you, Oniisama."

Lelouch returned her smile.

"I love you, too, Nunnally."

-X-X-X-

Lelouch's hand shook as it hovered above one of his own chess pieces. He nervously stared at the chessboard, trying to decide whether to move the chess piece or not.

Was this the right move? Would moving this piece allow him to win?

He thought through all possible scenarios that could result from him moving this piece while simultaneously thinking of moves to try and throw Mao off.

It wasn't working. Nothing was.

Mao was winning.

His fingertips barely brushed against the chess piece he was about to move when Mao spoke.

"Is that the right move?"

Lelouch's head jerked up and he gazed fearfully at Mao. His hand retracted and he slumped in defeat. There was just no winning against the other Geass-user.

Mao chuckled.

"Giving up?" he questioned in amusement. "What about your little sister? She's counting on you, you know."

"Isn't this enough?" Lelouch asked, his voice shaking as he was on the verge of tears. "Please, just stop."

"I can't do that, Lelouch."

"Why not?" Lelouch asked, his head snapping up to glare frantically at Mao. "Why not?! Please, just let her go!! I'm the one you want!! Not her!! She has nothing to do with this!!"

"'Nothing to do with this?' Isn't she the reason Zero exists?" Mao asked. "Isn't she the reason you're raising an army to destroy the empire your own father rules?"

"That's-"

"I must admit that I'm rather envious of your sister." Mao went on to say. "She has someone who loves and cares for her a great deal. She has someone who will never hurt her or abandon her. She has you…as I had C.C."

From behind his sunglasses, Mao sent Lelouch a hate-filled glare.

"How I _used_ to have her, but you stole that away from me. You stole my precious person…so I stole yours."

Mao's attention snapped to the chessboard.

"Make your move." he snapped impatiently.

Lelouch gulped and eyed his chess pieces in uncertainty. He had to move one of them. He had to. Stalling for time would most likely irritate the already irritated Geass-user further and he would most likely detonate that bomb out of spite.

He took a ragged breathe of air and slowly stretched his shaking arm out. His fingers closed around a chess piece and he moved it forward.

Once he let go of the piece, Mao smirked.

"That's a good move, Lelouch." he commented, raising his hands and clapping. "Impressive as always…but…"

Lelouch's breathe hitched as Mao reached down to casually move a chess piece to capture his own.

'_No…_'

"…I'm afraid it's just not good enough." Mao finished, lifting Lelouch's captured chess piece up for the other to see.

Mao watched as Lelouch slowly started to shake his head, a horror stricken expression taking over the youth's features. And for a moment, just a moment, Mao felt guilty. He felt guilty for kidnapping his successor's disabled sister, for placing that bomb over her head, and for using her against Lelouch. He felt guilty for stealing someone's precious person, for inflicting the same hurt he had been given on someone else.

But it was only for just a moment.

And the moment passed as soon as it came.

With no feelings of guilt, no feelings of remorse, with no feeling at all, Mao heartlessly flung Lelouch's chess piece into his side of the scale.

Mao was certain that he and Lelouch weren't the only ones who felt the earthquake-like vibration that the bomb's explosion caused.

Mao took a sadistic liking to the anguished scream that tore its way out of Lelouch's throat as the other fell to his knees shaking, the knowledge of what had just transpired burying its way into his brain. Mao reached into his pocket to pull out a portable video screen and he pressed a few buttons so as to pull up a live video. He frowned as he saw that the camera he had set up was currently swinging from the ceiling at an odd angle, but he decided that it couldn't be helped. The explosion was rather large and had most certainly done a great deal of damage to the underground passageways. He remained silent for a few minutes as he sauntered over to stand beside Lelouch. There was quite a bit of smoke obscuring the camera's vision, but it cleared eventually and allowed Mao to see what he was hoping to see.

"My, my. What a mess." he commented, kneeling down beside an immobilized Lelouch. "That bomb did quite a number on those passageways. I don't think anyone will be using them anytime soon."

His eyes flicked over to look at Lelouch. The boy's mouth was hanging open slightly and his eyes were wide and frightened. He was shaking quite badly.

"You're probably not interested in the passageways, though." Mao continued, as if talking about the weather. "You might be interested in _this_, I think."

He held the screen in front of Lelouch's face, but the other just lowered his eyes and turned his head away.

This didn't please Mao.

He fisted his free hand in Lelouch's hair and forcefully yanked the boy's head down to make the other look at the video feed. Lelouch's eyes widened even more before narrowing and filling up with tears.

Oh, God, there was blood everywhere.

He shut his eyes and tried to look away, but Mao wouldn't have that.

"Look at it." he ordered, ignoring the small gasp of pain from Lelouch as he yanked his head closer to the screen. "Open your eyes and look at her."

Lelouch's eyes opened halfway as a choked sob passed his lips. He didn't want to see. He didn't want to see the mess the bomb had made. He didn't want to see the small specks of blood that had managed to hit the damaged camera's lens. He didn't want to see the bloody chunks of flesh that had splattered against the walls and stained the water an eerie red color. He didn't want to see the blackened remains of the wheelchair that lay in a mangled heap in the pool of bloody organs and tissue where Nunnally had been moments before.

He didn't want to see it, but he did and now he couldn't look away.

Another sob passed his lips as hot tears rolled down his cheeks. That sob was quickly followed by another and then another until Lelouch's thin frame was shaking with sorrow.

"Poor little heartbroken prince." Mao said, feigning sympathy. "First your mother and now your little sister. What will you do? All your precious people keep dying!"

Lelouch's only response was his continuous sobs and never-ending flow of tears.

"Hmm. I think I know how to fix this." Mao said cheerily, dropping the video screen and releasing Lelouch's hair before standing.

He reached back to pull out a gun he had hidden at the back of his pants and waved it in the air.

"_This_ will fix it." he said emotionlessly as he pressed the barrel of the gun against the side of Lelouch's head. "This will fix everything."

Mao's lips twisted into a malicious grin.

"Rest in peace, Lulu."

Mao's finger squeezed the trigger, but the gun never went off. It didn't have a chance to as it was knocked out of its owner's hand by the bullet of another gun.

"That's enough, Mao." a monotonous voice stated loudly.

Mao's eyes widened in pure joy at the sound of this new voice.

"C.C." he exclaimed, whirling around to see the witch's amber eyes staring at him. "It's you! You're here!"

"Yes, I'm here." she said, walking closer to Mao.

Her eyes flickered over to Lelouch's quivering form for a brief moment before focusing on Mao again.

"I sense that you've done something drastic." she stated, lowering the gun that was equipped with a silencer to her side. "Something wrong."

"It wasn't wrong!" Mao protested, moving closer to C.C. "I did it for us!"

"Us?" C.C. questioned.

"Yes! So we can be together. We couldn't with Lelouch in the way, but now-"

"You murdered his sister." C.C. stated emotionlessly. "An innocent little girl."

"I know but-"

C.C. sighed.

"I should have done this a long time ago." she muttered.

Mao's grin fell a little.

"What?"

"I did love you, Mao." C.C. admitted, watching as Mao's face lit up.

"C.C." Mao breathed out, closing his eyes. "I knew it. I knew you did."

"So wait for me," she told him, angling the gun at the side of his neck. "in C's World."

Then she pulled the trigger.

As Mao's limp body fell to the floor, C.C. directed her attention to Lelouch. She walked over and kneeled down in front of him. He never once stopped crying, didn't even acknowledge her presence, not even when she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and rested her forehead against the top of his head.

"I'm sorry, Lelouch." C.C. said quietly. "Truly, I am."

Lelouch blinked, his sight blurred by tears.

"C.C.?" he whispered, finally acknowledging her presence. "I-…He-…"

He opened his mouth to try and say something, anything, but couldn't and just continued to weep for his precious Nunnally.

C.C.'s eyes narrowed--in sadness perhaps?--and she held Lelouch closer.

"I'll stay." she said in what she thought was a soothing way. "At least until someone comes. I won't leave you here alone. I owe you that much."

C.C. was true to her words. She stayed and just held Lelouch, allowing the child to cry. They stayed in that position for a long time. How long, C.C. didn't know for sure. Would anyone come? She didn't know, but just to make sure…

She pulled away from Lelouch a bit to grab her gun. She aimed it at the stained-glass of the large window beside them and fired. The window instantly shattered and she could hear a few screams from surprised bystanders outside.

"Someone will come now." she muttered, lowering her gun and turning her head to look at Lelouch.

Lelouch said nothing, didn't even look at her, but C.C. expected as much and that was okay.

Because she knew why.

She knew why Lelouch wouldn't look at her, why he wouldn't say anything when she left, why he probably wouldn't think of her anymore.

But that was okay because she knew the reason why.

She heard the pounding of footsteps as people were rushing the chapel's doors and she couldn't stay.

"Lelouch," she began, unwrapping her other arm from around his shoulders. "I have to go. I hear people coming so don't worry. You won't be alone."

She paused before leaning down to plant a soft kiss on his forehead and placed her gun in his hands.

"They'll say it was self-defense." she said standing. "No one will blame you once they see all this evidence…so don't worry. By the way, I'm taking your Zero outfit and anything linking you to the Black Knights."

She began to walk away, deciding to use the back entrance to leave.

"I won't say goodbye." she called back, continuing to walk. "For I sense that we will meet again, one day."

As C.C. expected, Lelouch hardly took notice when she left. He just continued to sit there, weeping, clutching C.C.'s gun to his chest as if it were a lifeline.

This was how he was found only moments later by two female students named Sophie Wood and Shirley Fenette.

-X-X-X-X-

Serena: Ooo, a bit of a cliffy, wasn't it? Well, not really but…meh. So? What'd you guys think? Should I write another chapter? Hmm, well, please write me a review and let me know what you think. By the way, Sophie Wood is an actual Code Geass character. She's Shirley's roommate and, according to Shirley herself in the Sound Episode "The Dream Ticket", Sophie has a thing for yaoi. XD Interesting fact, isn't it? Anyway, please review. Till next time!


	2. Silence

Serena: Oh snap, I got reviewers. =D Excellent. I wasn't too sure if anyone would be interested in this or not, but looks like a lot are. ^-^ Yay! Well, here's chapter two! [frowns] This chapter just didn't want to get written, the silly thing. [shakes head] It didn't turn out quite how I wanted it to. There's some parts of the story that I completely cut out because they sounded awkward, rushed, and not good together. Like how Shirley and Sophie just so happened to be near the chapel when C.C. shot the window or the police officer's arrival to Ashford….just meh. Call it laziness if you want, but I couldn't make it work so rawr. Oh, does anyone know whether Lelouch erased Nunnally from Shirley's memory or not? I really don't think he did, but I'm not completely sure. Anyway, **good news is that I've had some time to plan the story out a little more!** There is awesomeness in the future…well…I think it's awesome. ^^ So I kind of know where this story is going…kind of.

I would like to thank the following people for reviewing: Lilyflower1987, Rollo-kun, BishounenYaoiLover, irulezuall, sUp3rhiRo, 2stupid, XxsakuyaXx, 23emanresu, Tsukihime Setsuna, Diana Prince, Dragonist, Nusku, Star Jinin, and Shinku Anrui!

Thank you all very much for the reviews! [bows] I appreciate them a lot! I included both signed and unsigned reviews so I hope I got everyone, but, if I didn't, I'm terribly sorry!

Warnings: AU. Plenty of Lulu-angst…poor baby. [cries and hugs him] ShirleyxLelouch and a little SuzakuxEuphemia in this chapter as well as a nice dose of SuzakuxLelouch! Yay! There's SuzaLulu in this chapter!! That didn't take long. xD You can count all as friendship, if you'd rather think of it that way. It should be noted that any SuzaLuluness is implied…pretty much all pairings I announce in this warning are implied, but I digress.

Summary: On the day of Nunnally's kidnapping, Suzaku was absent because of military duties. With no one to aid him, Lelouch was forced to face Mao on his own. // "I'm going to Ashford Academy."

Disclaimer: I do not own Code Geass nor do I own Silent Hill. Story title inspired by the song Battleship Grey by Kirsty Hawkshaw.

-X-X-X-X-  
Title: Battleship Grey

Chapter 2: Silence

By: Serena the Hikari of Love  
-X-X-X-X-

"If someone said three years from now  
You'd be long gone,  
I'd stand up and punch them out  
Cause they're all wrong.  
I know better  
Cause you said forever  
And ever.  
Who knew?"

- Who Knew; Pink

-X-X-X-X-

It had been a mistake, Shirley concluded as she laid her eyes on the figure lying in a puddle of blood on the chapel's floor. It had been a mistake to allow her curiosity to get the better of her.

She and Sophie had only been passing by when they heard the loud shattering of a window. The sound had startled the two of them and had caused Sophie to shriek in surprise. The both of them had been curious--as anyone would be--and had decided to investigate.

Both found themselves wishing that they had of chosen differently.

Shirley loudly gasped in horror at the sight as Sophie screamed. Her instincts told her to grab Sophie and run because whoever had hurt this man could still be around, but concern overruled her instincts when she heard heartbreaking sobs. Her eyebrows knit together as she took a step forward.

'_That crying sounds familiar._'

Sophie quickly grabbed hold of her arm and frantically shook her head, eyes wide.

"What are you doing?!" she whispered furiously, pulling on the red-head's arm.

"Someone's crying. Don't you hear that?" Shirley whispered back, taking another step forward despite Sophie's protests. "What if they're hurt?"

"Or what if it's the killer?!" Sophie asked, pulling on the girl's arm again. "It could be some psychotic killer that's just trying to trick us!"

Shirley gave a forceful tug and yanked her arm out of Sophie's grasp.

"Or it could be someone who needs help." Shirley insisted, cautiously walking forward. "Go get help."

"Shirley! Don't-…I'm not leaving you here!"

"Then stay there."

Sophie huffed as she hesitantly followed Shirley. She wouldn't just stand by while her friend carelessly walked into danger. If Shirley was going to be idiotically brave and investigate the possibly-fake crying then so would she.

As Shirley neared a large scale standing behind a chessboard, a head of ebony-colored hair became visible. Turning her head, she was surprised to find a boy--Lelouch, wasn't it?--sitting on the floor with something clutched tightly to his chest. His head was lowered and he was shaking quite badly. Why was he crying? She frowned and slowly drew closer to him.

"Lelouch?" she asked hesitantly, kneeling down when she got close enough.

Sophie blinked as she neared the scales. Her eyes widened as she saw Lelouch.

"Lelouch?" she questioned, moving to join Shirley on the ground. "What's he doing here?"

Shirley shrugged and shook her head.

"I don't know." she answered. "Lelouch? What happened?"

"Are you hurt?" Sophie added, waiting for a response.

The response never came. The Britannian just continued to sob and it broke the girls' hearts to hear such a sound.

"We should get help." Sophie suggested as she stood. "I'll do it. You stay with Lelouch, okay?"

Shirley nodded her head.

"Right. Okay."

She watched as Sophie ran out the doors of the chapel to get help before returning her attention to Lelouch. Her frown deepened. She didn't know what to do.

"Lelouch?" she tried again. "Um…I'm not sure if you know me or not, but my name is Shirley. Shirley Fenette."

She paused, waiting to see if Lelouch would respond. When he didn't, she continued.

"I want to help." she said softly, trying to smile reassuringly "Can you tell me what happened? Are you hurt anywhere?"

Lelouch still didn't respond and Shirley frowned once more. She lightly sighed. How was she supposed to help him if he wouldn't talk? He wouldn't even look at her.

"…Lelouch?" she tried yet again. "I-"

She paused again and reached out to lightly lay a hand on the teen's shoulder.

"I just want to-"

Lelouch jumped once her hand touched his shoulder and Shirley quickly brought her hand back to her lap. His head snapped up and Shirley gasped. Lelouch's eyes were red and puffy and there were tears pouring down his face. It wasn't so much the redness of his eyes or the amount of tears drenching his face that caused Shirley to gasp, but it was this look that his eyes held. Shirley didn't quite know how to describe it. She had never seen such a look before. It made her feel so…sad.

"Le-Lelouch," Shirley began. "it's okay. I'm no-"

"No it's not." Lelouch interrupted, shaking his head. "I-It's not…it's not."

Shirley's eyes dimmed with sadness and she slowly reached out a hand to repeat her earlier action.

"Don't talk like that." she said, laying her hand on his shoulder. "Everything will-"

"No!!" Lelouch shouted, jerking away from her touch. "I told you that it won't!! It won't be okay!!"

Shirley could only stare fearfully at Lelouch as the distraught teenager pushed himself to his feet. She noticed, once he stood, that the item that he was clutching was metal. She backed herself against the table holding the chessboard as she realized what it was.

'_He has a gun!_'

Her eyes briefly flickered to the limp body lying a few feet from her. From where she was sitting, she could clearly see a bloody mark gashed into the man's neck.

'_Did he shoot that man?_' she thought, her eyes flickering back to Lelouch. '_…and is he…going to shoot me?_'

She continued to stare at Lelouch as he took a few steps backward.

"It's not okay." he muttered, shaking his head as his grip on the gun tightened. "It's not. It's not! It's not, it's not, it's not!!"

He choked back a sob as he continued to walk backwards until he hit the wall and promptly slide down it.

"Why?" he muttered, more tears falling from his eyes as he shut them. "Why her?"

He brought his knees up to his chest and allowed his forehead to fall against them.

"Why?" he sobbed, shoulders shaking. "Nunnally…"

Shirley could only watch, a pang shooting through her heart as the teenager continued to sob. Whether he really shot that man or not was currently not the issue. The thing that mattered the most right now was that Lelouch was hurting. She couldn't explain why, but there was a part of her that yearned to reach out and touch him, to wrap him up in a hug and run her fingers through his hair, to whisper soothing words in his ear and somehow make him believe that everything would be okay. It was a strange thing to feel for him because she barely knew him despite what she heard others say. According to other classmates, she knew him quite well--indeed, Sophie even mentioned something about Shirley giving a love letter to the boy--, however; she had only met him a few days ago in Narita so that was impossible.

Wasn't it?

Well, there _was_ such a thing as love-at-first-sight, but Shirley wasn't one to believe in such a thing. The idea was romantic enough and she would be lying if she said that she didn't enjoy the idea of it, but the fact of the matter was that she needed to actually _know_ the person first. Or she at least needed to be in the process of knowing them. But she wasn't even doing that much to try and get to know him. To be honest, she didn't like him all that much. He seemed so cold and distant the few times she had seen him since their meeting in Narita. Although, that could have simply been depression over the girl he had lost in the landslide that had claimed many other lives. She had apparently been important to him and Shirley sympathized with him on that as she had lost her father in the tragedy.

He hadn't been this upset back then, though.

'_Nunnally?_' she questioned upon hearing Lelouch sob out the name. '_The little girl in the wheelchair? What about her?_'

Shirley wanted to ask, but her previous attempts at trying to talk to the boy had failed.

'_Maybe if I show him that I'm completely harmless, he'll feel more comfortable around me._'

Shirley slowly sat up on her knees and began to crawl towards him. She hoped that this childish display would prove that she meant no harm.

"Lelouch, I'm not going to hurt you." she said, slowly crawling forward. "See? Look. I--ouch!"

She stopped and fell to the side as her knee landed on a hard object. She rubbed her knee and stared down at the object. She blinked, picking it up in curiosity.

It appeared to be a portable video player.

The screen was cracked--probably from when she accidentally stepped on it--, but it wasn't so damaged that she couldn't she what the screen was still showing.

Her eyes narrowed in uncertainty as she stared at it.

'_What is this?_'

It showed some kind of large and very damaged room that had something like a waterfall of water running through it. There were large chunks of ceiling and wall scattered everywhere.

Shirley also saw eerie blotches of red splattered against the walls and a particularly large one on a raised section of the floor.

'_It looks like…blood._'

On the large red blotch there was a blackened heap of a twisted material that had blotches of red, blue, and yellow covering it. It sort of resembled metal if she stared at it long enough.

Shirley suddenly began to feel sick as an awful thought surfaced in her mind.

What if the twisted metal and all the red blotches belonged to Nunnally?

'_No…it couldn't really be-…_'

Even though she had no proof, even though her brain told her it couldn't be possible, she began to cry.

Because deep down in her heart, she knew it to be true.

-X-X-X-

The following morning, news had spread throughout Ashford Academy about the tragedy that had occurred and the entire school was in mourning. All classes had been canceled for the rest of the week and many parents had taken their children home out of fear for their safety.

Not everyone knew of yesterdays events, however.

One such person was Suzaku Kururugi.

He was an Honorary Britannian who was enrolled at Ashford as a student, but he periodically was unable to attend school because he was also in the military and had his duties to fulfill. Currently, he was working under Lloyd Asplund--an eccentric and sometimes scary scientist--and was the pilot for the White Knightmare, Lancelot.

As he made his way across the campus, Suzaku noted how eerily silent the school was. He had been informed by Lloyd that there would be no school for the rest of the week due to an accident that had occurred and, since he would also not have military duties, had no reason to bother getting up early the next day. Regardless, Suzaku had awoken at his usual time and had dressed himself in his school uniform. It had been more out of habit than anything else, but he had wanted to come to the school to find out the full story of what had transpired yesterday.

That and he was worried.

He was worried for the other council members that he was coming to know as friends, but, mostly, he was worried about Lelouch and Nunnally.

He walked up the stairs to the Clubhouse and rang the doorbell. He stood there for a few minutes, waiting for someone to answer the door. When no one did, he frowned. He lifted a hand to ring the doorbell again, but stopped as the door creaked open and Sayoko became visible.

Suzaku's frown deepened as he noticed tear tracks staining Sayoko's face.

"Oh, Suzaku-san, it's you." Sayoko said quietly, her voice sounding a bit hoarse. "Please, come in."

She stepped back to allow Suzaku to enter. Once he did, she slowly and quietly closed the door.

"Sayoko-san," Suzaku began, eyes narrowed a fraction in concern. "is something wrong? You look like you've been crying."

Sayoko gasped softly and turned to face him with a surprised look on her face.

"Don't you…know what happened?" she asked frowning. "I thought that was why you were here."

Suzaku blinked and his forehead creased.

"My superior did not know the full story." he answered, suddenly feeling as if he had discovered something unpleasant. "I was only told that an accident occurred yesterday. I was worried about Lelouch and Nunnally so that's why I--Sayoko-san?"

Sayoko's eyes widened at the mention of Nunnally's name and her eyes welled up with tears.

'_He doesn't know._' she thought, a few tears slipping and falling from her eyes. '_How am I going to…_'

"Sayoko-san, what's wrong?" Suzaku asked again, taking a small step foreword.

Sayoko took a deep breath and exhaled shakily.

"Suzaku-san…" she began, wiping away the fresh tears that and fallen from her eyes. "…you should really sit down for this."

-X-X-X-

A thick and heavy silence settled over the two as Sayoko finished delivering the horrible news. Suzaku sat in frozen shock, his mind slowly processing what he had just been told.

Nunnally. The sweet little girl that he had known since childhood, the same little girl who had the genius Lelouch Lamperouge wrapped around her little finger, was dead.

Gone.

_Murdered._

Tears filled his eyes and spilled out, running in a steady stream down his cheeks.

'_She can't be._' he thought, not wanting to believe it. '_Not her. Why would anyone hurt her?!_'

The answer was obvious, but who would want to hurt Lelouch like that?

Sayoko had told him that the man who had supposedly been responsible for Nunnally's death was dead himself and the police believed that Lelouch was the one who killed him as a recently fired gun had been found in Lelouch's grip.

'_Oh, Lelouch…_'

More tears spilled out of his eyes as he thought of his friend.

Nunnally was Lelouch's whole world. She was the very air he breathed, the blood flowing through his veins, the sun that lit up the sky.

What would he do now that she was gone?

Suzaku took a moment to calm himself. He took a few deep breaths and wiped his tears away. Once he was certain he could speak without sobbing, he spoke.

"Where is Lelouch?" he asked quietly.

"Lelouch-sama has…locked himself in the miss's room." she answered just as quietly. "He refuses to come out and he won't speak to anyone."

Sayoko reached into a pocket that she had on her dress and drew out a small key.

"Milly-sama passed this on to me from her grandfather. It's an extra key to the miss's room." she explained as she turned the key over in her hands again and again. "I've tried to go in so many times, but-…I just-…"

Suzaku nodded his head slightly in understanding.

"I know."

He paused for a moment before holding out his hand.

"May I?" he asked, referring to the key. "I don't know what I could do…but…"

"Of course." Sayoko answered, placing the key in Suzaku's hand.

After a moment of silence, Sayoko slowly stood up as did Suzaku.

"Follow me, please." she said, turning and walking in the direction of Nunnally's room.

Suzaku followed along behind her, neither speaking as they neared their destination. As they walked down a hallway, Suzaku noted how eerily bleak and dark the hallway was. It seemed to hold a great sadness about it that made his heart feel heavy.

Sayoko stopped moving as she neared a closed door that seemed to radiate the same depressing aura as the hallway.

"This is her room." she said quietly, as if speaking any louder would disturb something nearby.

Suzaku took a breath and nodded his head.

"Thank you."

He glanced down to stare at the small key in his hand and, hesitantly, he lifted it up and into the door's keyhole. Giving it a turn, he heard the lock make a quiet click. He left the key in the door as he took hold of the doorknob and twisted it, pushing the door open afterward. He winced as the door creaked loudly and took another deep breath before entering the room.

The room was dark, so cold, and held the feeling of being devoid of life.

It was also quiet, much too quiet.

He walked further into the room and looked around, searching for any sign of Lelouch.

The curtains were drawn shut and all the lights were off and, oh, it was so quiet.

Why did it have to be so quiet?

He crossed the room to the bed--Nunnally's bed--and stared at it sadly. It would no longer hold the gentle frame of the sweet little girl anymore. Turning away from it, he moved around to the other side of the bed and stopped.

Huddled up against the side of the bed with his knees drawn up to his chest, sat Lelouch.

"Lelouch…"

Suzaku kneeled down beside the younger boy.

"It's me. Suzaku."

Lelouch didn't say anything. He simply kept his arms wrapped around his knees and his eyes glued to the floor.

"Lelouch," Suzaku tried again, reaching out a hand to gently take hold of Lelouch's chin.

He turned Lelouch's head to face him and his eyes widened.

Tears were pouring down Lelouch's face and his violet eyes held this blank look that made Suzaku's heart clench.

He recognized that look.

Being in the military for so long, Suzaku had seen many things that someone his age shouldn't have to see or deal with. He had seen many people die and just as many wish for death. Many times, he had been forced to stand by while someone was killed and, although he didn't want to, he couldn't help but look at the person facing death.

And he watched their eyes. He watched the emotions that would flit across them in a matter of minutes.

And it was always the same.

At first, there would be fear. Fear of death, of knowing that they were about to die. I don't want to die!

Then came denial. A refusal to accept what was happening. They weren't really going to die, right?

After that came sorrow. They were going to die and they didn't want to. They still had so much life in them!

Finally, acceptance. They were about to die and that was okay. It was sad and it wasn't fair…but it was okay. That final emotion turned their eyes a dull shade, like all the life had been sucked out of them.

Dead eyes, he had heard it called.

That was the look he saw in Lelouch's eyes and he didn't like it. It sent a cold chill trickling down is spine.

"Lelouch…" he breathed out, his voice shaking with repressed sobs.

He leaned over and wrapped his arms around Lelouch, noting that the Britannian was so limp. Just like a rag doll.

"I'm sorry." he whispered, tears running down his cheeks. "I-I'm so sorry, Lelouch."

-X-X-X-

It was days later when the courts declared Lelouch's innocence on the subject of murder.

No one working the case could bring themselves to blame him.

The evidence all pointed to Mao being the main culprit. His DNA had been found on the remains of the bomb as well as the little set-up in the chapel. Furthermore, a record of a man matching Mao's description had been found among some police files accusing him of terrorizing some poor individual and nearly killing them. The record itself was rather odd as the police officers who had supposedly captured the man couldn't remember anything about it. Regardless, the record was used as evidence against Mao.

Besides the evidence, there was Lelouch's mental state to consider. A psychiatric evaluation proved that the teenager was in no fit state to stand a trial. The psychiatrist that spoke--or tried to speak--to Lelouch stated that she believed his unstable mental state was due to his little sister's death and because he had killed someone.

The police weren't sure whose remains were splattered in the underground passageway at first, but, after collecting a sample of the remains and sending them out for testing, it was discovered that the remains were related to Lelouch. As they knew Lelouch to have only one living family member, they deduced the remains to be those of his younger sister, Nunnally Lamperouge.

All of those facts combined was what caused Lelouch to be declared innocent.

If only the trouble stopped there. Sadly, it didn't.

Ever since the night of Nunnally's death, Lelouch hadn't said a word.

Not to anyone.

Not even Suzaku.

Naturally, this worried everyone to an immense degree and they all tried their best to try and get Lelouch to speak, but all their attempts ended in failure. When asked what they should do, the psychiatrist stated that they needed to give Lelouch time and, eventually, he would start speaking again.

"Hey, Lelouch."

The psychiatrist didn't say how long it would take for him to recover, though.

Suzaku smiled as he walked into Lelouch's room carrying a tray in his hands.

"I made you some soup." he said, setting the tray down on a small table set-up beside Lelouch's bed. "It's miso soup with leek and potatoes. I remember you saying that you liked it once…so I thought I'd make it for you."

Suzaku sat down in a chair he had set by Lelouch's beside and pulled the small table closer to him. He turned slightly in the chair to look at Lelouch, his smile falling a bit.

Lelouch was sitting up in his bed, his attention wholly focused on a violet paper crane he held in his hands. His dull amethyst eyes were half-lidded as he gazed at the tiny crane, pulling at its wings as if trying to make it fly.

Suzaku sighed.

Lelouch did this every day. He didn't speak or look at anyone. He just sat there in his pajamas and fiddled with that paper crane day after day. He had found the crane in Nunnally's room and hadn't let it go since. He pitched a fit if anyone tried to take it away from him so everyone left it alone.

It had been five days since Nunnally's murder and Suzaku had taken it upon himself to act as Lelouch's personal sentinel and nursemaid.

He absolutely refused to leave Lelouch's side for longer than he had to. That resolve caused a small problem with Lloyd, but, thanks to Cecile, Suzaku was given an extended leave of absence from his military duties so he could take care of Lelouch.

"Lelouch," Suzaku called out softly, stirring the soup. "would you like to try eating some?"

Lelouch didn't say anything, as Suzaku expected. He just continued to gently pull on the paper crane's wings like he always did.

"Lelouch," Suzaku tried again, reaching out to brush the Britannain's dark hair aside so he could see the boy's eyes. "you haven't eaten a thing all week. This isn't healthy. You're getting weaker."

Suzaku's eyes watered and he took a shaky breath.

'_I don't know what I would do if you left me too._' he thought, a few tears slipping and falling from his eyes. '_Please, Lelouch…please…don't leave._'

He took a few deep breaths before bringing his hand back and wiping away his tears.

'_I have to be strong for Lelouch._'

With that thought in mind, he forced himself to smile. Anyone could tell that the smile was fake and terribly strained, but, considering the circumstances, what could one expect? He couldn't be all unicorns and rainbows after losing someone he had thought of as a little sister.

He picked up the spoon and filled it up with a bit of the warm liquid.

"Here." he said, bringing the spoon to Lelouch's lips. "Try to eat this while it's still warm, okay?"

Lelouch made a small sound that sounded like a mix between a whine and a growl and he leaned away from the spoon.

"Lelouch, it won't bite." Suzaku said, moving the spoon to Lelouch's lips once more. "Try a little of it."

Lelouch made another little sound and turned his head away from the spoon.

Suzaku's eyes narrowed a bit, but he tried not to let Lelouch's deliberate avoidance discourage him.

"Lelouch, please." he pleaded, bringing the spoon to Lelouch's lips once. "Just try a-"

Lelouch swatted at Suzaku's hand, causing the brunet to spill the soup onto the bed sheets. Suzaku sighed. He placed the spoon back in the bowl and grabbed a towel lying beside it. He wiped the spilled soup off the bed sheets as best he could and set the towel back on the tray. That done, he filled the spoon up with some more of the warm liquid. He attempted to feed Lelouch the soup again but only succeeded in upsetting him further.

"Alright, alright." Suzaku said with a sigh, placing the spoon back into the bowl. "Calm down, Lelouch."-he stood from his chair and moved to sit on the bed-"See? The spoon is gone."

He wrapped one arm around Lelouch's shoulders and ran his fingers through the boy's hair. It seemed to be about the only thing that would calm him down whenever he got too fussy and Suzaku was often forced to do this as Lelouch became upset very easily.

Suzaku sighed as Lelouch leaned back against his chest and watched as the Britannian continued to fiddle with the paper crane.

He wanted to help him. He wanted to help him so badly….but…

He sighed again.

He wasn't making any progress with the younger boy. None at all. No matter how hard he tried, Lelouch just wouldn't cooperate and he only acknowledged another person's presence whenever said person upset him in some way.

"I just want to help you." Suzaku mumbled closing his eyes and resting his head on top of Lelouch's. "I want you to get better…so you can smile again…please let me."

-X-X-X-

Rivalz blinked.

"Suzaku Kururugi? Yeah, I know him." he answered.

A girl wearing a white, green, and orange dress smiled, her violet-colored irises lightening up behind her thick round glasses.

"Oh, thank goodness." she said in relief, reaching up to adjust the baseball cap on her head. "I've been searching all day for someone who knew him."

"Well, you found the right person!" Rivalz said with a smile. "So you say you're looking for him?"

The girl nodded her head, two long pink strands of hair swaying as she did so.

"Yes, I am." she replied. "I haven't seen him all week and I was worried about him so I decided to search for him."

"Oh, I see." Rivalz said with a nod of his head. "Hunh…Suzaku never told me he had a girlfriend…"

The girl blushed at the comment and stuttered.

"G-Girlfriend?! I-I'm no-"

Rivalz waved a hand in the air.

"Eh…anyway, I know were he is and I can take you to him if you like…but…"-he frowned-"…I'm not so sure if I should."

The girl clasped her hands in front of her and gazed at Rivalz with pleading eyes.

"Would you please take me to him?" she begged. "I really must see him!"

Rivalz continued to frown and fidgeted.

"I-I don't know…"

"Please?"

Rivalz sighed in defeat.

"Okay, okay! I'll take you to him but-"

The girl smiled brightly and grabbed his hands, holding them in her own.

"Oh, thank you!" she exclaimed happily. "This means a lot to me. Thank you so much!"

Rivalz groaned.

Cute girls were his weakness and this one's pouty expression made him weak in the knees.

"You're welcome." he mumbled, turning to lead the way. "Oh…by the way, my name is Rivalz. What's yours?"

The girl paused for a moment before smiling.

"My name is Euphie."

-X-X-X-

"Princess Cornelia, I have the report you requested."

Cornelia looked up from her position on her throne to see her knight, Gilbert G.P. Guilford, standing before her with a manila envelope in his hands. He handed the envelope out to her and she took it.

"Thank you, Guilford." she said with a small nod of her head.

Opening the folder, she carefully read the report as she flipped through the files.

A few days ago, a man had been murdered on the school campus of Ashford Academy and a student was believed to be the culprit. Cornelia had been busy at the time she had first heard the news and had ordered that a full report on the subject be brought to her immediately. It hadn't come as soon as she had wanted it to. This irked her, but the excuse she had been given was that enough evidence hadn't been gathered and that her highness would not be pleased with being given so little information. This was a true statement, but it did nothing to lessen her anger.

Still, she waited and now, finally, she had her report.

She blinked.

'_Lelouch Lamperouge?_' she questioned, eyebrows knitting together as she read through the file.

The student accused of murder was a seventeen-year-old male named Lelouch Lamperouge. He lived on campus with his thirteen-year-old sister, Nunnally Lamperouge.

She blinked and her eyes widened at the name.

'_It couldn't be…_'

She turned the page and paper clipped to the next page were a set of labeled photographs. She unclipped them and carefully looked at each one.

_-X-X-X-_

Suzaku blinked and a happy smile spread across his face. He leaned over and refilled the spoon before bringing it back up to Lelouch's lips. Lelouch stared at the spoon for a moment before opening his mouth wide enough to allow Suzaku to feed him the soup once more.

Suzaku was thrilled. He had finally managed to get Lelouch to eat something.

He had tried again a few moments ago, not really expecting Lelouch to eat, but hoping that he would.

Lelouch had surprised him by eating the spoonful of, by now, lukewarm soup.

'_He's eating. Maybe this means he's getting better._'

Suzaku hoped this was the case.

As he sat beside Lelouch and continued to slowly fed him spoonfuls of soup, there was a knock at the door and he paused. He looked up at the door questioningly.

"Suzaku?" he heard a male voice call out. "Are you there? Uh…it's Rivalz."

Suzaku blinked and brought the spoon to Lelouch's lips again as he answered back.

"I'm here." he said, frowning as Lelouch moved away. "Is something wrong?"

He tried again, but Lelouch only turned his head away from him.

Damn it and he had been doing so well.

"No, nothing's wrong." Rivalz answered. "There's someone here to see you."

Sighing agitatedly and glaring at the door, Suzaku dropped the spoon back into the bowl.

"Come in."

-X-X-X-

Cornelia froze and her eyes widened as she came to a picture of a boy with dark hair and startling purple eyes.

The boy was wearing a school uniform and was sitting in a chair beside a young, light-haired girl in a wheelchair. The two were smiling and holding hands. A date printed on the bottom of the photo stated the photo to be two years old.

-X-X-X-

The door opened and a girl wearing a baseball cap and an orange and green dress tentatively stepped inside.

She smiled.

"Hello, Suzaku." she said.

Suzaku blinked, his glare morphing into confusion as he stared at her.

She sounded like…

The girl turned to Rivalz and thanked him. Before the blue-haired boy walked away, closing the door as he left. The girl reached up to remove her cap, her long strands of pink hair falling down her back.

Suzaku's eye widened.

"P-Princess Euphemia?!"

Euphemia giggled as she removed her glasses.

"You don't have to call me that in private." she said smiling. "You can call me Euphie. It's-"

Euphemia's eyes roamed over to see Lelouch sitting against the headboard and her eyes widened. She had been so focused on Suzaku that she hadn't noticed the boy when she first walked in.

"Oh my! I-"

She paused, blinking as she stared at him. He looked so much like--…but it couldn't be-…

She inhaled sharply ad gasped lightly.

"Lelouch?"

-X-X-X-

"Lelouch…" Cornelia muttered.

She abruptly closed the manila folder and stood from her seat.

"Milady?" Guildford questioned. "Is there a problem?"

Cornelia didn't answer as she turned on her heel and began to walk out of the room.

"I'm going to Ashford Academy."

-X-X-X-X-

Serena: This chapter wasn't that great, was it? Meh, well, I accomplished what I wanted to accomplish with this chapter so squee for me. So…can you guys guess what I'm trying to do or what? You probably already have. So…can I gets a review? =D Pwease?


	3. Royalty

Serena: I've failed you all. ;___; But I'll redeem myself next chapter, I swear!!! DX **THERE'S A POLL CONCERNING THIS STORY ON MY PROFILE. PLEASE LOOK AT IT IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY.** I am so sorry for the wait! I've been dealing with college stuff and then there's the ever helpful procrastination thing. Plus, I was having trouble with Euphemia's and Cornelia's characters. I wasn't sure how to write them. I got a book though that helped me with their characters so…I managed to get this chapter done finally. Anyway, I can't believe the amount of reviews this story has already gotten. Is it really _that_ interesting? I mean, yeah, if someone else had written this, I'd be reading it…but still. Wow. [shrugs] Anyway, Chapter 3 has arrived!! And it continues where the last chapter left off!! So read on. :D

I would like to thank the following people for reviewing: starfruit-22, La Luna Negra, Djay, Patet, 23emanresu, Naome 666, Rollo-kun, Shinku Anrui, Nusku, 2stupid, TenshiGosuperu, Xhadow Kiss, setsuko teshibam, LelouchForever, Star Jinin, ayashi77, Altair718, Killer Rabbit of Caerbannog, TheWhisperOfWind, Yamiro, Infidel Pumpkin, sennyo-chan, Chibi Tsuki Hikari, Midorchi-chan, Lickumz, lover-of-light, dark-kitsune-chan, Anonymous Sister of the Author, PirateCaptainBo, x, Zaywex, and CGRD!

Thank you all for your wonderful reviews and for the story alerts and all the favorites! ^^ [bows] See Yamiro? :D Told ya I'd update soon. So no Boba Fett! D:

A huge thanks goes to Star Jinin who was kind enough to beta this chapter for me. I know she had to of had many issues with it. My rough drafts are what I call "organized messes"…which I have decided means "not good". And uh…she never beta read the edited version of this chapter. ;__;…I know. I'm terrible, but I felt too awful for not updating sooner so…yeah. Anyway, she'll be beta reading this story from now on so squee! ^^; [flees]

Warnings: AU. More angst…of course. Some SuzakuxEuphemia and some SuzakuxLelouch as well as lots of platonic sibling love for Lelouch. =D Cause he needs more love…I gotsa cookie for anyone who gives Lulu a hug!! ^^ They're Zero-shaped even.

Summary: On the day of Nunnally's kidnapping, Suzaku was absent because of military duties. With no one to aid him, Lelouch was forced to face Mao on his own. // "Holy Mother, I seem to have found you again."

Disclaimer: I do not own Code Geass nor do I own Silent Hill. Story title inspired by the song Battleship Grey by Kirsty Hawkshaw.

-X-X-X-X-  
Title: Battleship Grey

Chapter 3: Royalty

By: Serena the Hikari of Love

Beta'd By: Star Jinin  
-X-X-X-X-

"Is it lonely where you are?  
In there…  
Dad?  
Does the darkness know your name?  
Does Mom?  
What's it like?  
Can you feel?  
She said her blood turns to ash.  
Laughing."

-O.R.T; Akira Yamaoka (Silent Hill Origins)

-X-X-X-X-

Euphemia's eyes shimmered as she was on the verge of tears. Could it really be--?

"Lelouch?" she questioned in disbelief as she took a small step forward. "Is that…really…"

Suzaku didn't know what to say as he stared at Euphemia with wide eyes.

Should he lie and say that she was mistaken?

Had Lelouch been more himself he was sure that the violet-eyed boy would have demanded that he lie to her. Well, perhaps "demanded" was the wrong word, but the point was that Lelouch would have told him to lie to Euphemia in order to keep his identity a secret.

One thing that hadn't changed over the years was Lelouch's loathing for the Britannian Empire--namely, his father. The boy was terrified of having his princely heritage discovered. If he was discovered, word would spread and would eventually reach the ears of someone close to the Empire. If that happened, Lelouch's life would drastically change and that was something neither of them wanted.

Was it selfish of him to want to keep Lelouch all to himself?

His eyes narrowed slightly as his mind came back to the matter at hand.

No, he could not lie to Euphemia. He just couldn't.

For one thing, he didn't approve of lying as he thought it only hurt people in the end. Second, how could he lie about something like this when Euphemia was staring at Lelouch with her own two eyes? Lelouch was her brother and despite her having not seen him for years, Suzaku was quite certain that she would be able to recognize him. After all, Lelouch wasn't someone who could be easily forgotten. Plus, after seeing the look Euphemia had--a hopeful, pleading expression that begged for it to be true, to know that her eyes were not deceiving her--Suzaku just didn't have the heart to try.

So he sent Euphemia a small smile and nodded his head slightly.

"It is."

Euphemia ran forward and flung herself onto the bed, wrapping her arms around Lelouch in a tight hug.

"I don't believe it." she whispered, tears freely running down her face as she buried her head into Lelouch's chest. "Father told us you were dead. He said you and Nunnally died in the war, but you didn't. I'm so glad."

Lelouch stiffened slightly when Euphemia first touched him, but otherwise didn't acknowledge her presence. He kept his head turned away from Suzaku and Euphemia and just stared at the wall with that same somber--yet somehow blank--expression that Suzaku detested.

Euphemia didn't notice this at first, as she was too preoccupied with wrapping her mind around the knowledge that her older brother was alive.

Lelouch vi Britannia. The same boy she used to play with at the Aries Villa, the same boy she had a catfight with Nunnally over about who would get to be Lelouch's bride in their pretend game, was alive.

_Alive_.

Never had a simple word sounded so beautiful, so wonderful. Alive…Lelouch was alive. She could touch him, talk with him, listen to him, and play with him again.

She was brought out of her happy musing as a thought struck her.

Lelouch was not responding.

She unwrapped her arms from around Lelouch so that she could wipe her tears away. She sat back and narrowed her eyes slightly at Lelouch.

"Lelouch? It's me." she said, her smile falling a little. "Euphemia, remember?"

She waited a moment, hoping that Lelouch would say something or even look at her.

He didn't.

"Lelouch?" she tried again, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Lelouch, don't you recognize me?"

She still got no response.

"Su-Suzaku?" she questioned, her confused and scared eyes locked onto Suzaku. "Why isn't my brother responding?"

Suzaku sighed and looked away.

How was he going to explain this to her? He couldn't tell her of Lelouch's condition without explaining what caused it. Euphemia had just learned of Lelouch's survival and she probably thought that Nunnally was still alive as well. It was a logical conclusion to come to and no one could blame her for thinking that if indeed she was.

How could he tell her that she had lost Nunnally not once, but twice?

"Suzaku?" Euphemia pleaded. "What's wrong with my brother? Why won't he…"-she placed a hand over Lelouch's- "…why won't he answer me?"

Suzaku turned his head to gaze at Euphemia, his eyes filled with sorrow.

"Euphie…" Suzaku began. "Lelouch is…well…"-he took a deep breath and exhaled slowly-"…something terrible happened a few days ago."

-X-X-X-

"I'm sorry." Suzaku apologized.

He felt horrible, like he had just committed an unforgivable sin.

He had made Euphemia cry.

But not because he wanted to.

It was entirely unintentional--albeit inevitable--yet he felt the need to apologize. He had finished telling Euphemia about what had happened days earlier and as expected, the pink-haired princess was sobbing in mourning for not just Nunnally, but Lelouch as well.

Her brother's behavior made so much more sense to her now.

As children, Lelouch always doted on Nunnally and Euphemia doubted that that had changed these past few years. After Lady Marianne's murder, Lelouch could always be found at Nunnally's side. He would talk to her regardless of whether she was asleep or awake. He would hold her hand, telling her that everything would be okay and that he would protect her. He helped her cope with the loss of her sight and legs.

There were so many things he did for that little girl and there were undoubtedly many more things he had done for her that Euphemia knew nothing about.

Now Nunnally--the only family Lelouch ever had these past seven years--was gone and Lelouch no longer had any close family members by his side.

If she herself felt this bad, she couldn't imagine how bad Lelouch felt. It must be an awful feeling.

Euphemia took a deep breath and exhaled shakily. She lifted a hand to wipe away some of the tears clinging to her cheeks before reaching down to clasp one of Lelouch's hands in both her own.

"Has he said anything at all?" she asked, directing her question at Suzaku as she stared at Lelouch.

"No. He hasn't." Suzaku answered.

Euphemia's frown deepened and her shoulders sagged.

"…but…" Suzaku added.

Euphemia's frown lessened at this and she turned her head to look at Suzaku expectantly.

"…he _has_ eaten something today." he finished, gesturing to the bowl of lukewarm soup. "And he hasn't all week…so that has to be a good sign."

Euphemia tilted her head downward and stared at the floor for a moment before looking back up at Suzaku and sending him a small smile.

"Yes." she said, nodding her head a bit in agreement.

They were silent for a few minutes, neither really knowing what to say due to the circumstances.

And during this silence, Euphemia thought about Lelouch. What would happen to him now that Nunnally was gone? Would he be able to carry on with his life? Would he ever speak again? Would he ever recover from this state?

She couldn't just leave him now that she knew he was alive. Not when he needed someone to be there for him, to hold his hand and tell him that everything would be okay…just like he did for Nunnally so many years ago.

'_I want to help him. I want to be here for him everyday, but I'm a princess. It would be nearly impossible for me to visit with him. I have my duties as the Sub Viceroy to fulfill and I cannot slip past my guards all the time. _'

She sighed and stared down at the hand she held, her mind remaining blank for a moment before her eyes suddenly widened as an idea struck her.

'_I cannot stay here with him, but I he can stay with me. He gave up his claim to the throne, but he is still a prince by blood._'

"Suzaku." Euphemia started, turning her head to look at the brunet.

"Yes?" Suzaku questioned, taking notice of Euphemia's sudden change in mood.

"I want to help my brother, but I cannot be here for him everyday. However, he is still a prince by blood…so I can just take him back with me."

Suzaku blinked.

"Take him…with you?"

Euphemia nodded her head.

"Yes! I can talk to Cornelia. I am sure she will agree." she said, smiling a bit at the thought. "We've all thought him dead for so long…this will be great news! Plus, I can make sure Lelouch is well cared for. What do you think?"

To be honest, Suzaku wasn't quite sure what to think about that.

He knew that Lelouch--if the boy had been in his right mind--would be freaking out right now at the thought of being shipped off to the Britannian homeland and meeting his father again. Lelouch would be completely against the idea, but--and Suzaku looked at him when he thought this--Lelouch needed someone to care for him and as much as he wished he could, Suzaku could not play nurse to him forever. Lloyd would eventually hunt him down, forcibly drag him back to their military base, and seal him inside the Lancelot for a month or until Cecile rescued him.

'_What if I don't want him to be taken away? What then, Euphie?_'

Suzaku nodded his head and smiled slightly.

"I think it's a wonderful idea, Euphie." he agreed.

It wasn't so much of a lie as it was a half-truth; therefore, he didn't feel guilty for agreeing with her despite his conflicting thoughts.

Euphemia smiled.

"I'm glad you agree. Oh! Suzaku?"

"Yes?"

"I was wondering…are you the one who has looking after my brother?" she asked, eyeing the soup bowl.

"Well…yes, I have." Suzaku answered, eyeing the now cold soup sitting in front of him. "He and I have been friends for quite some time and I was worried about him so…"

He trailed off as he watched Euphemia's eyes brighten in realization.

"Oh, I see." she said, gazing at Suzaku happily. "You're that Japanese boy Lelouch said he made friends with."

Suzaku blinked.

"How did-"

"-I know?" Euphemia finished for him. "He sent me a letter once and told me so. I was very happy that he made a friend while he was away from home and I've always wanted to meet that friend." -she tilted her head down in a show of shyness- "So that boy was you…I can see why."

Both she and Suzaku turned their heads to the direction of the door as they heard it open suddenly.

Both promptly gasped as they stared at a female figure that had a lovely shade of violet hair standing behind a noticeably stressed Milly Ashford.

Milly stepped into the room and stepped aside to allow the woman behind her a chance to enter the room.

"This is his room, Your Highness." she stated.

"Thank you. Make sure to tell no one of this visit, understood?" the woman ordered, her sharp amethyst-colored eyes settling on Euphemia and Lelouch.

"Yes, Your Highness." Milly responded, sending Lelouch a pitying look before leaving.

"Sister…"

"So my suspicions were correct after all." Cornelia stated, moving to Lelouch's side.

Her eyes softened and finding that she was unable to restrain herself, she wrapped Lelouch up into a tight but gentle hug as he seated herself beside him.

She just couldn't help herself.

Her closet siblings kept dying.

Years ago, she had been informed that Lelouch and Nunnally had been killed in the war. Lady Marianne's death had been a major blow, but her children dying as well? That was just too cruel.

Seven years later, her brother Clovis was murdered by that abomination of a man who called himself Zero. Who was next? Schniezel? Or--God-forbid--Euphemia?

But now here was one of those dead siblings, very much alive. Could anyone blame her for getting just a little emotional and hugging her little brother in front of an Ele-Honorary Britannian that she didn't particularly like?

"To think that you were here this whole time." Cornelia muttered, placing a hand on top of Lelouch's head. "Hmph. I'm sure Clovis is turning in his grave right about now for not finding you first."

Euphemia smiled at the sight of her big sister being so loving towards Lelouch. It was a nice change to see, as Cornelia was usually so reserved with her emotions.

"I'm sure brother Clovis would be very happy to know that Lelouch is alive." she agreed.

Suzaku watched the happy reunion with a small smile on his face. He was happy to see Lelouch's siblings being so loving towards him and he knew by seeing this display of love that Lelouch would be in good hands.

That did not mean he was okay with Lelouch being taken away from him. Quite the contrary.

He was being selfish, he knew. But he hardly cared.

Rather than voicing his objections, however, he just kept his mouth shut. He hated to admit it, but the situation was out of his hands.

Cornelia leaned back, sighing as she looked down at Lelouch.

"If only we could say the same about Nunnally." she muttered, frowning slightly.

Euphemia stared down at the bed sheets, her eyes threatening to spill more tears.

"I know." she said quietly.

A spot of color caught her gaze and upon turning her head slightly to look, she discovered a small paper bird nestled against the pillows. Curiosity got the better of her and she reached a hand out to pick it up.

"What is this?" she asked aloud, cupping the tiny bird in her hands.

All eyes--even Lelouch's--turned to her as she held the tiny bird out for all to see. Suzaku's eyes widened slightly and he reached a hand out towards Euphemia.

"Don't-"

He wasn't quick enough.

Lelouch wrenched himself out of Cornelia's hold and snatched the tiny crane out of Euphemia's hands before anyone had a chance to blink.

He glared, clearly unhappy that someone had _dared_ try and take _his_ crane away.

He even _growled_ to further show his unhappiness.

He sat back after a moment and all the anger drained out of his face as he began to gently tug on the crane's paper wings.

Suzaku sighed as Euphemia and Cornelia stared at Lelouch in alarm at this sudden mood swing.

"He doesn't like for anyone else to touch it." Suzaku explained to the bewildered princesses. "It's…_hers_."

Euphemia titled her head down in shame. She didn't know, but she still felt guilty for upsetting him.

'_I can fix that, though. I will see to it that he learns how to smile again._'

With that thought in mind, she looked back up at Cornelia with determination set in her violet irises.

"Sister," she began, catching the elder's attention. "I was thinking. Now that we know Lelouch is alive, we're going to take him back with us, right?"

"Of course." Cornelia answered without hesitation. "I will not leaving my younger brother here."

Euphemia smiled.

She figured as much, but it was still nice to hear it.

"That's wonderful. Won't Schneizel be pleased when he hears the news!" Euphemia said in a bit of excitement.

Her brother would be coming back home. She had no reason not to be.

-X-X-X-

"What a terrible place the world has become."

A tall figure stood before an altar. The altar was covered by a frayed white sheet and countless melted candles littered its surface, some lit and some not. An old wooden podium stood atop a raised section of the stone floor behind it, a cross etched into it's front. Thick walls of powdery stone and dark wood made up the walls surrounding the figure and long windows of stained glass were embedded into the wall's surface.

No light shone through them.

The figure kneeled before the altar and performed a _signum crucis_ or "sign of the cross" in prayer.

"Holy Mother, I seem to have found you again." he stated as he stood. "It seems that your sorrow still exists. It is unacceptable."

He turned his back to the altar.

"I tried to find you, but I found someone else in your place." he continued.

He began to slowly walk down the aisle, passing the long wooden pews that held a couple of occupants.

The occupants did not seem to mind that he was talking to himself. In fact, they didn't even acknowledge him.

"He looked nothing like you, but he was the same. He _is_ the same…and that makes me happy."

As he reached the middle of the aisle, he paused and turned back to the burning candles.

"Is it wrong of me, Holy Mother?" he questioned. "Do you think me wicked?"

He received no answer. Not from this "Holy Mother" and not from any of the other occupants.

He shrugged after a moment of silence.

"I've decided what I'm going to do and that is all that really matters. See?" he said, gesturing to his attire. "This is me now and my new purpose is to bestow nothingness unto my new enemies."

He remained silent for a moment before he turned and continued to walk down the aisle.

"I have to leave now." he stated. "I'm planning to meet him again. I think he will like that."

-X-X-X-X-

Serena: =D Who do YOU think was talking just then? Will I tell you if you ask? No. Will I give you a hint? Already did. :D Besides, you'll never guess correctly…I think. o.0 I don't know. SOME of you can read minds! D: **Anyway, kinda important thing you guys should know. I just started college recently. **I'm not sure how that will affect my updating. Knowing me, it probably won't change a thing. XD But, just thought you guys should know. :3 Anyway, please review and I'll see you guys next chapter!! =D Which will definitely be sooner than this chapter was. _ I hope…

For those wondering about the s_ignum crucis_ or "sign of the cross" thing, it's something that Catholics and other Christians use as a sign of faith. You know, it's that sign some people use where they make a few movements with their hand? Ah, I can't describe it. XD I just remember seeing a lot of people using it at churches or in movies. So I did some research to find out its name and realized it was just what I needed. Keep reading and you'll discover the identity of the "Holy Mother" he was talking to. :D

**Oh and one last thing. The part where Euphie mentioned receiving a letter from Lelouch, that really did happen. It's in the Stage 0.884 sound episode.**


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